Car-coupling



(No Model.)

J. B. RIDDLE.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented May 9, 1893-.

41 .l u ittll Ill Uwrre STATES ATENT Erica.

JOHN B. RIDDLE, OF MORGANFIELD, KENTUCKY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 497,213, dated May 9,1893.

Applioationtiled February 2, I893. $erial No. M0664. (No model.)

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in car couplings.

The objectof the invention is to providea car coupling of improvedconstruction, in which the pin may be set to automatically engage withthe link when the drawheads come together; the invention also embodyingcertain improvements which will be hereinafter fully set forth, andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a carcoupling constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view. Fig. 3 isa side elevation. Fig. at is a detailperspective View of the link support detached.

A designates the draw-bar,which is attached to the car body so as tohave a slight spring movement rearwardly, and to the forward end of thisdraw-bar is rigidly secured the drawhead, A. The draw-head is chamberedin the usual manner, and upon the upper side or top, a, is hinged a tubeor housing, B, the leaf or plate, 17, to which it is attached beingpivoted to a leaf 0 rigidly attached to the drawhead; thus permittingthe housing to be swung to one side, as shown in Fig. 2, when it isdesired to do so. The plate I) is apertured for the passage of the bolt1), which secures the housing in a vertical position.

The housing is provided on one side with a slot, B, one of the sidewalls of which is cut away to form a catch, W, with which an arm D,carried by the head of the couplingpin, is adapted to engage, when saidcoupling pin is raised and slightly turned.

F designates a plate, which is attached to the car body in rear of thehousing B and a little to i one side of the same; this plate ispreferably hinged to the car body, so that it can be swung to one sidewhen it is desired to throw it out of a position for use.

The draw-head is provided through one of its side walls with an openingg, through which may be passed a link elevating device, G, the oppositewall having a perforation to form a bearing for the other end of thedevice, and adjacent to the operating handle it is provided a groove,it, within which the members of a bifurcated plate 11 lie to retain thelink-elevating device in position.

In operation, when it is desired to couple cars together, the plate F isturned to project outward or at rightangles with the car body and thecoupling-pin raised so that the arm may engage with the catch; now asthe cars come together the link will enter the drawhead, and thedraw-head being forced rearward will cause the arm to be disengaged bycontacting with the plate F, and permit the coupling-pin to drop inplace.

A helical spring may be placed within the housing above thecoupling-pin, to help the downward movement of said coupling-pin.

The spring plate H will exert a force upon the link-guide G, so as tohold the link in an adjusted posit-ion.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is- I 1. In a car coupling, the combination,of a draw-head having a tube or housing attached thereto, said housinghaving a slot with a catch formed in one of its side walls, acoupling-pin having an arm which is adapted to engage with said catch,together with a plate or projection carried by the car body, said platebeing adapted to contact with the arm of the coupling-pin, substantiallyas shown, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car coupling, the combination, of a draw-head having the usualchamber and pinaperture, a tube or housing attached to the draw-headabove the pin-aperture and having a slot with a catch, a coupling pinlocated within the housing and provided with an outwardly projecting armwhich is adapted to move in the slot and engage the catch, a springlocated in the housing above the coupling-pin, together with a platecarried by the car body,

ICO

which is adapted to disengage the couplingpin from the catch,substantially as set forth.

3. In a car coupling, the combination with the draw-head of a slottedtube closed at its upper end and provided with a base-plate, saidbase-plate being pivotally attached to the draw-head; a coupling-pinhaving an outwardly projecting arm which is adapted to engage a notch orcatch formed to one side of the slot in the tube to maintain the pin inan elevated position; a helical spring located Within the housing andbearing upon the head of the coupling-pin; together with a plate hingedto the car body on a line with the arm of the coupling-pin,substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a car coupling, the combination, of a link-guide,co1 1structedsubstantially as shown and provided beyond the draw-head with a grooveh, of a bifurcated plate attached to the draw-head and located in thegroove h formed in the link-guide, whereby one of the projectingportions of the link-guide will be forced in frictional contact with theinner side of the draw-head, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN B. RIDDLE. Witnesses:

W. T. CANNON, M. R. WALLER.

